Home ⟩Education at USC Chan ⟩Bachelor’s to Doctorate ⟩Meet the Students

Sharada Krishnan MA ’21

What brought you to occupational therapy?
Growing up with my younger sister, who has autism, I’ve always known that I want to work with children with developmental disabilities in my professional life. I saw the distinct value of OT in my sister’s life through early intervention, therapeutic horseback riding, clinic-based OT, and school-based practice and fell in love with the profession.

What area of practice are you interested in?
Pediatrics, specifically early intervention and school-based practice! I’m extremely passionate about OT’s role in facilitating access to and participation in school, which is such a critical and foundational environment for children. I’ve also been volunteering as a research assistant at the AZ Lab at the Division for four years, and I consider research to be an important area of OT practice! I hope to contribute to the field by engaging in research that advances knowledge and practice in pediatric settings.

Tell us about your favorite memory from the program so far.
I had the opportunity to attend the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference 2019 in New Orleans, LA. It was an incredible and inspiring experience to meet and learn from faculty, practitioners, and students from across the country!

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Kauai, Hawaii.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Go practice it later, but try it now.

⋯

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.